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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758381">A long life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Antonina/pseuds/Maria_Antonina'>Maria_Antonina</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect: Andromeda</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Gift Exchange, Happy Ending, background Peebee/Jaal, background fRyder/Vetra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 04:40:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,440</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758381</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_Antonina/pseuds/Maria_Antonina</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lexi is an asari among short-lived crewmates, and should have learned how to deal with her friends' inevitable departures by now. Unfortunately, the lesson doesn't really want to stick.<br/> </p><p>  <i>"Do you ever think about it?," Lexi asks, unable to keep the hollowness out of her voice.</i></p><p>  <i>Drack shrugs. "I'm old, and careless. Who knows," he chuckles, "they might yet outlive me."</i></p><p> </p><p>A Holiday Harbringer gift for ladyinquisitor over at tumblr dot com!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A long life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyInquisitor/gifts">LadyInquisitor</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p> </p><p>"Do you ever think about it?," Lexi asks, unable to keep the hollowness out of her voice.</p><p>Drack shrugs. "I'm old, and careless. Who knows," he chuckles, "they might yet outlive me."</p><p>They don’t talk for some time after that, content to let the noises of the party wash over the dark thoughts. Lexi feels, not for the first time, that Drack has a much better handle of things than she does, which doesn’t seem fair. Still, she keeps the lid on. Nyx and Ryder are both beautiful, going around the guest tables. It wouldn’t suit the team doctor to be maudlin at such a joyous occasion. </p><p>“It’s alright,” Drack tells her, standing up just as the newlyweds head over to their little corner. “Give’em a hug, I’ll do the rest.”</p><p>She shouldn’t be surprised that he’s good at this. Drack is old as mountains. He’s seen his share of friends pass, often in violent circumstances. He’s probably used to the thought, if nothing else.</p><p>“I’m so happy for you,” she says into Ryder’s shoulder, and she means it. She saw humans arrive on the galactic scene and immediately start a fight with the turians; that she is now attending a wedding between the two species, in a different galaxy, is still somewhat overwhelming. “You look radiant.”</p><p>“I look sweaty,” Ryder laughs, wiping at her hairline with the sleeve of her suit. She’s about to say something else, but Drack roars at the exact right moment and her attention is diverted back to the centre of the room. The krogan has Vetra up on his shoulders and any moment now someone is going to get bruised.</p><p>The sight startles a giggle out of Lexi too, and she lets herself stay in the moment.</p><p>*</p><p>Lexi just about manages to put her crew’s longevity out of her mind, then a Destined leads a team of strange-looking kett across the Nexus in a futile attempt to take out Tann.</p><p>She’s not on the station at the time. Ryder and Vidal are up to something again and she dutifully awaits their return on the Tempest with her med kit spread out, ready. By the time they stumble through the airlock, beaten black and blue but successful at whatever their latest scheme was, Lexi had heard the news and had to hide in engineering for two hours.</p><p>She knew Drack was due a secondary heart upgrade. She didn’t realise he would be stupid enough to take on a small army in between surgeries. </p><p>There is a funeral, but Lexi barely remembers it. Kesh is stoic as usual, having already made peace with her grandfather’s inevitable demise years ago. Vorn openly sobs, their kids tugging at his sleeves in confusion. Ryder gives a speech, Tann doesn’t. It’s probably for the best. Afterwards the Tempest crew and some friendly krogan gather in the Vortex, and next thing she knows she wakes up in her bunk with a terrible headache. </p><p>“Good morning, Doctor,” SAM greets her. Its voice is utterly devoid of judgement, yet Lexi can’t help but insert into it anyway. “Liam has requested access to the pain relief medication.”</p><p>“Tell him to just drink water,” she groans, but dutifully crawls out of bed to dispense the hangover cures. </p><p>Ryder doesn’t show up until late into the first shift. She looks too fresh for the beating their collective liver equivalents took the night before and, not for the first time, Lexi considers applying for a SAM implant. Even without the heightened connection built in by Alec to his children the AI must be better than coffee and a prayer.</p><p>“Lexi,” says Ryder, already awkward. “Doing alright?”</p><p>Lexi’s stomach flips which, combined with the lingering hangover, makes her wish for another water bottle. Her mouth might never taste right again. </p><p>“I’m fine,” she covers her mouth with her hand, the wave of nausea disagreeing with the statement. “All things considered.”</p><p>Ryder scratches at her neck. She has to ask the questions. She still believes she can help everyone, if only she has enough information, enough data for SAM to chew over. Lexi doesn’t want to talk. She’s fairly certain she’d already spilled too much under the influence.</p><p>“Look,” Ryder says, mostly to her own feet. “I’m just-- I’m a little worried, that’s all. Last night--”</p><p>“Drack was a dear, dear friend,” she interrupts. Her eyes sting. “His loss is… difficult. It put our lives in Heleus in a different perspective.”</p><p>Which is one way to describe it. <em>You’ll all die before me and I can’t stand the thought</em> being the less diplomatic option. She knows Ryder would have spoken to Cora for advice, and maybe attempted to drag Peebee away from her research for long enough to ask, too. But Cora’s experience with asari was limited to the worst excesses of the maiden phase and the already well put-together matriarchs, not nearly-matronly physicians with a bad case of existential dread.</p><p>Peebee’s advice would probably involve more alcohol. For once, Lexi would welcome it -- both the advice and the alcohol -- if there was any chance of Ryder actually repeating it.</p><p>But Ryder is clearly at loss on how to tackle this particular issue and so she reverts to mission priority. It’s a routine tactic between them, although usually working in the other direction.</p><p>“We’ll get back at Primus for this,” Ryder promises, the first embers of anger kindling in her eyes. “I’ve asked the tech lab to send us that Destined for study as we go, if you’re up for it.”</p><p>Lexi takes a deep breath and steels herself.</p><p>“Always.”</p><p>*</p><p>Kallo goes next and, in a way, it’s… it’s not good, obviously, but it’s predictable. He wasn’t exactly a spring chicken even by salarian standards, and Lexi knew there was something he wasn’t telling her during check-ups. For such a talkative guy, Kallo could keep his mouth shut surprisingly well if a spilled secret could affect somebody else.</p><p>That it was Lexi he didn’t want to affect was a disturbing thought. By the time the circulatory disorder showed up on her scanners, Kallo had all of his affairs in order and just… gave her that small smile of his.</p><p>“It runs in the family,” he’d said. “No reason to worry you with something you can’t fix.”</p><p>Lexi has spent innumerable hours researching the disease since, and she’s fairly sure that with the recent breakthrough in interfacing with the Meridian medical facilities, she could’ve at least slowed the spread of the errant cells. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Kallo didn’t want to be grounded away from the Tempest. He didn’t want to spend a couple more years poked and prodded while another pilot flew <em>his</em> ship.</p><p>And, in the end, there is another pilot flying the ship. Lexi hasn’t met them yet; she doesn't really care to, to be honest. She has her hands full with Gil, who’s taking the new acquisition to the team about as well as he takes anything.</p><p>“Not interested!,” he yells, elbows deep in the auxiliary shields panel. SAM told Lexi he’s been awake for far longer than optimal for human physiology. </p><p>“Gil,” Lexi starts, and has to dodge a slightly melted piece of plastic thrown her way. “Gil, do that again and I <em>will</em>--”</p><p>“Oh, you will?!,” he turns around. Goddess, he looks awful. Lexi hasn’t looked in the mirror in a while either, and at least Gil isn’t anywhere near the shape to notice. “What will you do exactly, huh? Cut me off the painkillers? Because let me tell you, that doesn’t even work on Costa anymore!”</p><p>She shows him the bottle she’d brought with her, and his shoulders drop.</p><p>“Sorry,” he mumbles. “It’s been a long day.”</p><p>“Tell me about it.”</p><p>She doesn’t like how cynical she’s been behaving lately, but she has a ship full of misfits to take care of and, sometimes, playing dirty saves everyone a lot of time. Gil thinks he doesn’t give anything away in their check ups but she knows he’s been one foot in Prodromos ever since the twins were born. Ryder thinks she needs to be a supportive leader while everyone’s grieving, and doesn’t realise that her difficulty in parting with a crew member isn’t limited to Kallo.</p><p>“He used to give up, like, half his paycheck to this widow, did you know that?” Gil doesn’t need to get particularly drunk to start spilling, but the glass in his hand is a good enough excuse. “And he didn’t even <em>like</em> me, but he gave Jill this massive gift basket--”</p><p>“Kallo liked you just fine, Gil,” she repeats, and it’s not a lie. Over the years, Kallo learned not to take their engineer’s snark at a face value. “A lot of people do.”</p><p>“Yeah, sure,” he huffs. “You trying to analyze me, doc?”</p><p>Lexi shrugs. “I don’t have to, to know that you miss your children.”</p><p>Gil immediately looks guilty. They were due a pit stop at Prodromos when Kallo had his first heart attack. In the flurry of handovers, goodbyes and organising last rites, nobody in their right mind would remind Ryder that they were supposed to take a shore leave.</p><p>“I’m not angry at Kallo, <em>or</em> Sara, so drop it,” Gil warns her. “That’s life when you work on a spaceship. Shit happens.” He <em>looks</em> angry, although his expression isn’t directed at her. He runs a hand down his face in frustration. “It’s just--”</p><p>They’re silent for a minute, the hum of the engine filling the space between sips of wine. They both know what needs to be said and Gil just needs to come to terms with being able to say it.</p><p>“I don’t want my kids to be Sara’s widow,” he finally spits out. “Well, that didn’t make any sense.”</p><p>“I know what you mean,” Lexi says, because she does. </p><p>Ryder doesn’t get surprised anymore. There is an AI living in her head, and Lexi strongly suspects that SAM must have warned her about Gil’s upcoming resignation. She makes a good show of it, though, makes her engineer feel just bad enough that he doesn’t suspect he’s been let go easily. </p><p>“Thank you,” Suvi tells her later, over Gil’s empty bunk. “We all knew it was going to happen, even if Ryder didn’t want to admit it.”</p><p>“It’s for the best,” Lexi agrees. </p><p>*</p><p>They recover the quarian ark. It’s unclear whether enough elcor survived to sustain a population, but the Nexus is in a celebratory mode and nobody wants to spoil the mood by mentioning such things. </p><p>It’s quiet on the Tempest. Lexi nearly jumps out of her seat in shock when Harry puts a hand on her shoulder.</p><p>“I tried to get you on the omni-tool,” he says, to which Lexi can only smile ruefully. She’d muted it the second she made it back to the ship. “I-- I don’t have good news.”</p><p>She knew it was coming. When Ryder barged through the airlock, screaming for help, she knew that whatever peace she’d made since Kallo’s death was going to be disturbed once more. </p><p>Cora’s death was certainly heroic. She’d saved the arc, her barrier shielding the cryopods from incoming fire until Ryder managed to take out the turrets. She’d severely overclocked her amp in the process, though, and by the time they made it back onto the Tempest she’d already slipped into a coma. </p><p>Human biotics were always such a mystery to Lexi. Their bodies didn’t evolve a way to discharge the build up of energy safely, and they didn’t have centuries to train and research to develop a natural outlet. Instead, they’d stuck an amplifier into their brains. In a way, Lexi thought, it was very typical of what she’d understood of human behaviour when they first showed up in Citadel Space. Now that they have angara to learn from, and the Jardaan city blueprints to test out, any new biotic children had a chance to grow into their power without technological interference.</p><p>But Cora won’t get to see any such developments. </p><p>“I’ve never been in real combat before,” she admits.</p><p>“I hear you did good.”</p><p>“Not good enough.”</p><p>“Lexi…”</p><p>“All of you,” she says, and manages to sound composed even as her hands tremble, “need to stop dying, Harry.”</p><p>She can see the reactions flicking through his mind before he settles on a flippant one. Later, she’s grateful for a bit of levity.</p><p>*</p><p>It’s nearly four years until the next tragedy hits, and it takes Lexi by surprise.</p><p>“This is all your fault!,” Peebee has been screaming for a while, but this remark cuts Ryder particularly deep. The Pathfinder visibly slumps and, if it wasn’t for Vetra holding her wife up, Lexi thinks she’d have fallen to her knees. “<em>You</em> made a stupid choice, and now <em>he</em> is paying for it!”</p><p>Further enraged by a lack of reaction, Peebee punches a wall and storms off towards the bridge, shoving their newest engineer out of the way. Lexi likes this one, and doesn’t think he deserves his introduction to the Tempest to be quite this traumatic. She doesn’t have the time to worry about him for too long, though. There’s a decision to be made.</p><p>Liam is conscious, if delirious, and in a bad shape. Jaal is out cold, and doesn’t respond to stimuli. Lexi watches SAM speed up the healing of cuts on Ryder’s face and wonders if, this time, she’d have to be the one to make a stupid choice. When Vetra looks at her pleadingly she knows what’s being asked of her.</p><p>They are on the other side of the cluster from Nexus, where both of her patients could be treated at once, and even further from Meridian. They can get to Aya in about twelve hours, provided the Scourge pockets haven’t grown since their last run through. If Suvi can help with putting Jaal in stasis that should leave Lexi enough time to operate on Liam without too many interruptions…</p><p>Later, once the adrenaline comes down and Lexi is sitting at her desk with a cup of tea listening to the steady beeping of Liam’s life support, she’s a little overwhelmed by how calculating she was in the moment. Cold, analytical, not like herself at all, yet... she’d saved both her crewmates’ lives. SAM’s analysis puts Liam at an 80% chance of full recovery, far below her preferred statistics, but he’ll survive, while Suvi’s genius idea to place sun lamps around Jaal’s stasis pod seems to have helped with restoring brain function. </p><p>She also knows that by choosing to act immediately on Liam and to hope they get to Aya in time for Jaal she’s ensured Peebee will never speak to her again. They weren’t exactly <em>friends</em> by any definition of the word, but they’ve achieved a semblance of peace after the rocky beginnings. This loss isn’t the worst outcome the day could have landed on, but Lexi still gives herself a minute to regret it.</p><p>They’re such a strange couple, Peebee and Jaal. Someone so open and emotionally giving, and someone so skittish and walled off. Lexi was probably never supposed to know about their relationship, but asking Jaal to keep it a secret was a lost cause from the get go. They are… sweet, together. Not something for her to research.</p><p>Before she falls asleep in her chair, Lexi hopes that she made the right choice.</p><p>*</p><p>“So Peebee stopped by.”</p><p>Lexi shoots Liam a dirty look. She knew this sudden invitation to Vortex wasn’t just to catch up, but goddess, it was good to see him finally moving about. He’d shown off his new prosthetic arm, barely distinguishable from the original, and plied her with cocktails before taking his shot. Goddess, she misses him.</p><p>“I didn’t realise she was back at the Nexus,” she says, before something else slips out. </p><p>“Yeah, well, we all heard you were making a stop,” Liam’s smile is only a little bit distant. He’s doing well, but not well enough yet to return to duty. Lexi has to forcibly remind herself that this is a social call, not a therapy session. “Jaal’s staying with his folks, you know how she is.”</p><p>The drink -- Elaaden screwdriver, Dutch’s newest invention -- sours in her mouth, and she’s fairly sure this time it’s not the intended effect. </p><p>“What are you plotting?,” she asks, because he is, and because she’s not ready for whatever reunion he’s going for. If Peebee suddenly plops down in the booth and starts acting like nothing has ever happened -- however unlikely a scenario that is -- Lexi might have to hide under a table.</p><p>“Nothing!,” Liam protests, but his eyes are crinkling in that familiar way that tells her it’s absolutely something. “Just thought I’d share a-- a comment she made.”</p><p>“Well, feel free to skip the expletives.”</p><p>The song changes to something angaran, fast-paced and melodic, and Lexi takes a deep breath, and then a deeper drink. She’s nearly a matron, she reminds herself, and a physician, for goddess’ sake. She can handle a little soul searching once in a while. Liam is polite enough to wait her out, although the amused expression on his face only stokes the momentary flare of annoyance.</p><p>“She said,” he leans in on his elbows, as close to a hushed tone as you can achieve in a packed club, “that if she’d known you were being existential, she wouldn’t have-- you know.”</p><p>“Know what?,” she bristles. “Accused me of deliberately ruining her life?”</p><p>“Give her a break, doc,” he leans back, and picks up his own drink to chase the mood away. His prosthetic is still stiff and a little unwieldy, and some of the liquid splashes onto the table. Lexi has to look away. “Look, Jaal is fine. I’m fine. We’ll be back to it in no time, and that’s thanks to you. She’ll get there too.”</p><p>“She left the Tempest,” Lexi sighs. “Whatever she gets back to, I don’t think she wants to do it around me. And Ryder…”</p><p>“Come on, Lexi, think. Is there anything that can stop Jaal from jumping into the next load of trouble head on? No! And I’ll bet you the next round that Peebee won’t stay away for long either.” </p><p>Lexi snorts in an entirely undignified manner, but Liam’s not finished. “As for Ryder, <em>look</em>,” he grabs her hand suddenly, forcing her to look at him. “You keep saving our asses out there, doc. Ryder knows that, yeah? She doesn’t blame you. If anything, she’s thanking every power in the universe that you haven’t handed in your notice yet.”</p><p>...Ah. This is so <em>unfair</em>. She’s had three drinks! She can already feel her lip wobble, so she bites down on it hard, willing the waterworks away. </p><p>“I mean, I don’t think she knows that Vetra has, like, <em>so</em> many hooks in place to keep you from leaving--”</p><p>“I don’t think I’m supposed to know, either,” Lexi croaks out. The banging music keeps the crack in her voice just about hidden, but Liam must have caught it anyway, because his grip -- and gaze -- softens a bit. </p><p>“Look, I know we're not going to hang around as long as you.”</p><p>“Liam…”</p><p>“But without you, any old salarian could say that, yeah? You can’t save us all from our own idiocy, but if you didn’t make a decision when you did, both Jaal and I would be dead by now. If you didn’t come along on the quarian ark, we wouldn’t have saved Zifa, we wouldn’t have got the pathogen... I know I can trust you to watch Ryder’s ass when I’m not around, and that’s…,” he breathes in and out. “That’s something, okay?”</p><p>Lexi doesn’t cry, even though a big part of her really, really wants to. Instead she squeezes Liam’s good hand back. For the first time in what feels like a long time, her own smile feels genuine.</p><p>*</p><p>She looks at Ryder and immediately knows it’s a lost battle.</p><p>“Absolutely not,” she tries anyway. “We know nothing about this device, what it’s capable of! Reinforcements are--”</p><p>It’s useless, of course. It’s not that Ryder doesn’t trust her fire team to have her back, but they’re all so eager, so ready to run into danger, so <em>young</em>... it would be sending them to their deaths. Vetra’s stable, but too injured to go on. By the time Liam, Peebee and Jaal make it through the Remnant maze, Vidal will have reached the Jardaan device. </p><p>Ryder smiles at Lexi, her back straight and the gash in her armour still faintly smoking. She’s been a--, no, <em>the</em> Pathfinder for so long, she probably doesn’t know when not to be one. </p><p>“Goddess take you and this entire business,” Lexi groans, unclipping Vetra’s rifle from her pack. Somewhat unsurprisingly, she can easily picture herself emptying an entire clip into Vidal’s back. “Promise me we’re getting out of this alive, you hear me?”</p><p>“Lexi, you don’t have to--”</p><p>“I do, though,” Lexi interrupts her. She doesn’t know a whole lot about  guns, save how to point one and how to treat their effects. The rifle clips to her belt easily enough though. “Vetra will be safe here. Come on, we don’t have much time.”</p><p>Ryder’s smile is frozen on her face, and Lexi thinks she catches her eyes getting a bit misty before she turns away sharply and speaks into her comm.</p><p>“Nyazi, Girn, keep your positions,” Ryder’s voice is made of steel, yet she pauses to briefly touch Vetra’s face on the way through the gate. “We’re going in.”</p><p>*</p><p>It’s a very odd feeling, to see your own face immortalised in stone. Lexi tries not to focus on it too much. Thankfully, it’s not as prominent as Ryder’s, and it makes her smile to think how embarrassed she’d have been if she were to see it.</p><p>“Weird, right?”</p><p>“Goddess!”</p><p>Peebee grins at her, pleased at her own sneakiness. She’d changed her facial make up to something much… lighter. The angaran inspiration was obvious. It suits her. She’s still in her lab overalls, defying the black tie directive as usual. </p><p>“Good to see you, too,” she says, and wrinkles her nose at the statue. On the stage underneath it the new director -- Kael? Kall? The first drell to hold the office, anyhow -- starts her speech. </p><p>“Do you think she’ll be long?”</p><p>Lexi shrugs. “The story seems longer with every retelling.”</p><p>“Ugh.”</p><p>They listen for a spell, amicably silent. The director is a talented orator with a dramatic flair. It’s been long enough that some of the details start to get foggy so Lexi enjoys the little reminders. There is a SAM console near the podium and it flashes images to illustrate the tale. Peebee makes a disgusted noise when Reyes Vidal is mentioned. Lexi can’t help but chuckle at her.</p><p>“Still bitter?”</p><p>“Screw that guy,” Peebee mutters. “Ryder should’ve--”</p><p>“Now, now,” Lexi pats her shoulder. “He made up for everything in the end. Let’s enjoy the moment, shall we?”</p><p>“Ha!”</p><p>It’s an argument they’ve had plenty of times by now, and Lexi has no interest in rekindling the fire. Soon, SAM makes the projection of the Scourge turn brilliant white and evaporate, to the ovation of the crowd, and Kesh takes her place on the soap box. Her speech is much shorter, mostly focused on the recent engineering undertaking on Elaaden, carving a river bed into the newly uncovered bedrock. The settlement it’s supposed to supply is yet to be named, but Lexi feels she already knows what Kesh has in mind for it.</p><p>Drack would’ve pretended to hate it, for sure.</p><p>“You’re getting misty,” says Peebee, wiping at her own eyes. The cultural conservation leader is up next, introducing the teaching VIs based on each individual Tempest crew member. “Think SAM will try and mess with people? Make Ryder say fuck, or something?”</p><p>“He’d never,” Lexi says, but honestly, she’s not sure. At this point, she wouldn’t put anything past the AI. It seems to have picked up entirely too much of Ryder’s personality.</p><p>Peebee gives her a curious look from the corner of her eye. Lexi pretends to be too immersed in the ins and outs of the newest planet-sharing agreement to notice. As usual, Peebee only manages to hold her tongue for about thirty seconds.</p><p>“You’re doing much better this time.”</p><p>“Hmmm.”</p><p>“Don’t hmmm me, you’re not drunk or bawling. What’s the deal?”</p><p>Lexi raises an eyebrow at her. “If I recall correctly, last time we were both--”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” Peebee waves her off. “Well, he’ll be back in like twenty years anyway, I’m over it. We’re talking about <em>you</em>, doc, you got someone?”</p><p>Lexi wonders if Peebee will ever manage to be over Jaal, if hanging so much hope on the still little-understood memory transfer wasn’t going to end in more tragedy. Still, if she’d learned anything over the decades it was when not to push. </p><p>And sometimes, when to skip past the shield of mutual teasing and be sincere, for both of their sakes’.</p><p>“I think it’s the statue,” she admits. The bloody thing is nearly as big as the relay monument back on the Citadel, and she could see the entire building process from her office window. It was carved out of stones brought from each of the original golden worlds, and Ryder looks every bit of the hero she was. It’s beautiful.</p><p>“Come oooon,” Peebee groans, but Lexi shakes her head.</p><p>“I mean it. I think-- I think what bothered me, back on Tempest, was the lack of roots.” </p><p>She hasn’t actually talked about it to anyone yet, even as the thought bounced around her head ever since the plans for the statue were announced on the Nexus network. She wasn’t exactly <em>saving</em> it for Peebee, as such, but… well, it seemed appropriate.</p><p>“We were starting from scratch in Andromeda,” she continues, carefully, feeling her ground as she speaks. Peebee’s brows draw close, but she doesn’t interrupt. “I was worried that we were losing people for nothing, that it was all going to simply be lost, and I’d be left alone with only memories for company. But seeing this,” she gestures at the monument. “<em>We</em> were the roots. And now I can watch the garden grow.”</p><p>Peebee stares at her for a long moment, then looks at the statue as if she’s seeing it for the first time.</p><p>“Huh.”</p><p>Below them, at the stone Ryder’s feet, the representatives of the original settlements take the stage to describe the humble beginnings of their cities. Lexi listens, and remembers along with their passed-down histories, and smiles to herself.</p><p>They might yet outlive her.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy Harbringing! I was at a bit of a loss as to what to write about, as I'm more of a shippy writer than not, but then... Well, 2020 was a clusterfuck of a year, so I thought something about growing, enduring, something something, Lexi is cool right? Everyone likes Lexi.</p><p>I hope you enjoyed it :)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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